GRUPPO SAN DONATO: IRCCS OSPEDALE SAN RAFFAELE’S NEW DA VINCI SP ROBOT – A NOVELTY ALSO FOR UROLOGICAL PATIENTS

How the robotic system has improved minimally invasive surgery

With the advent of the robotic system, which has been applied to the urological branch for some time now, minimally invasive surgery has made great strides. The robot, in fact, allows surgery to be performed with greater precision, with a view of the surgical area magnified by 10 times compared to what is perceived and transmitted by the human eye. 

The delicate movements that can be implemented by means of the robotic system therefore allow

• greater respect for anatomical structures, resulting in better outcomes;
• less blood loss. 

Not only that, but the robotic approach, reducing the impact and surgical stress on the patient, allows

• a faster recovery time
• less hospitalisation time;
• less intense pain after surgery compared to traditional surgery. 

Today, the 3 Da Vinci Robots already present at San Raffaele are joined by an important novelty: the Da Vinci SP (single-port), currently only available in a few other Centres in the rest of Italy. 

What is the Da Vinci SP (Single Port) robot

The new Da Vinci SP (single-port) completes the fourth Da Vinci generation with the unique innovation of limiting the number of patient accesses from an average of 4-7 to a single one. We therefore move from a multi-port system to a single-port, i.e. single-access system. 

Until now, in fact, robotic surgery has been structured using several access points from which to pass the robot’s surgical arms, such as the optical instrument and the surgical table assistants’ instruments. Da Vinci SP, on the other hand, being made up of a single arm, further limits surgical invasiveness by being able to perform highly complex, robot-assisted operations through a single access point.

It is, therefore, a revolutionary machine that combines innovation, technology and practicality thanks also to the use of a flexible endoscope that returns 3D HD images to obtain a complete view of anatomical structures during surgery.

The advantages of the Da Vinci single-port robot

The Da Vinci SP allows access to the area to be treated through a single incision of only 3 centimetres through which the arms of the robot can pass, allowing greater flexibility and mobility of the surgeon compared to the human hand and further improving the precision of movements. 

The SP system has also demonstrated a further reduction in surgical stress on the patient compared to the traditional robotic system, with a further reduction in pain and peri- and post-operative impact. Post-surgical recovery is further reduced and patients can return home and to their daily activities sooner. 

Compared to all other instruments, the Da Vinci SP, therefore, not only shortens certain surgery times, but also drastically reduces the patient’s recovery time as well as post-operative pain. 

Through this machine, in fact, there is the possibility, depending on the case, either to pass through the abdomen, or not to pass through it, remaining in the extraperitoneal space, determining a lesser impact on the patient also with regard to post-operative intestinal mobility.

The advantages are, therefore, several:

• less invasiveness;
• shorter recovery times;
• reduced post-operative pain;
• greater precision;
• less impact on recovery of post-operative intestinal motility;
• less likelihood of developing inflammation or infection.

The patient arrives at the hospital the day before surgery for all pre-operative examinations and as early as the day after surgery, if the course is considered to be within standards, they can be discharged and go home. This represents the best surgical technology we can offer our patients today, with a faster return to daily life and a better quality of life.

Which urological pathologies it can treat 

Thanks to the numerous instruments that can be interchanged and assembled with the main arm, the Da Vinci Single-port stands out for its versatility, being suitable for various types of operations. Because it is less invasive, it is also able to extend the indication for robotic surgery to more complex patients.

At the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, the Da Vinci Single-Port has already been used for several operations by both Urology teams: the one directed by Prof. Francesco Montorsi and the one directed by Dr. Franco Gaboardi.

In urology it is mainly used for:

• prostate oncological pathologies
• renal oncological pathologies;
• non-oncological operations for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH);
• reconstructive surgery treatments for ureteral or pyelo-ureteral junction stenosis.

References: Press release